The deal expands Friendly's relationship with Fox 21, for which he landed USA Network's Queen of the South. This marks Friendly's first TV pact.

"In an incredibly competitive situation, David got the rights to Queen of the South, a property the entire town wanted. It's that kind of tenacity and his great experience in the feature world that made us want to be in business with him," Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke said Monday in a statement.

Before Queen of the South - which was renewed for a second season in September - Friendly focused on feature films. His 25-year film career includes an Oscar nomination for producing best picture nominee Little Miss Sunshine. His Friendly Films recently released its first documentary, Sneakerheadz, which Friendly wrote, produced and directed. His credits also include the Big Momma's House franchise.

Friendly joins a Fox 21 roster that also includes Natalie Chaidez, who moved from Universal Cable Productions and signed an overall pact with the studio in September. She will replace Scott Rosenbaum as showrunner on season two of Queen of the South.